Welcome to the web site of St Bartholomew's Church

Like many other people I love my garden. I like to potter about there on a sunny evening, I like to plant things and watch them
grow, and I LOVE eating the results (especially having a
husband who grows strawberries).
One early source of inspiration was my biology teacher, who encouraged me to help in the greenhouse, put me in charge of the school pond and taught me how to take cuttings and over-winter dahlias. The other was Percy Thrower (remember him?), who presented Gardeners’ World from 1969 until 1976. Subsequent 'celebrity gardeners' seem to me to be more celebrity than gardener.

Go back far enough in the history of the world and you will discover a time before Gardeners’ World, a time when God was regarded as the ultimate gardener. The opening of chapter two of Genesis tells us “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” So it would appear that from the very beginning of this ‘Gardener’s World,’ it was a team effort. God the creator provided plants, sunshine and water and we provided the manpower to tend, weed, harvest and propagate. In the Gospels Jesus often used parables based on planting, grafting, weeding and harvesting. It was the language he used to encourage people to grow in their faith and sow the seeds of that faith in others.

I find that looking after a parish is very like tending a garden. The seeds were sown long ago by people who prayerfully and carefully prepared this patch of the Kingdom so that the Gospel could flourish and bear fruit. They raised up new members of the congregation, sought out the weak and the sick and gave them special attention and potted on growing plants so that they could reach their potential. It is always tempting to spend more time relaxing and enjoying the flowers than getting down on your knees and doing a bit of weeding, or the jobs that need to be done to prepare for the season ahead, but this has to be done, or the garden will become a wilderness. (The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing again obviously never weeded a garden!).

Our Local Ministry Team and PCC are planning now for the next season of growth in Newbiggin. We need new ‘plants’ and new gardeners if we are to continue raising up good fruit for God’s harvest. Can you help us? (Or can we help you?) Come along to any of or services and you'll find there is plenty happening in the garden.

                                                                                Judith